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Sunday, August 31, 2008

China quake damages more than 100,000 homes, 25 dead

In this photo released by China's Xinhua News Agency, residents gather around a bonfire as they evacuate following an earthquake in Yinlu Village, Datian Town, Renhe District of Panzhihua City, southwest China's Sichuan Province, Sunday, Aug. 31, 2008. Rescue teams headed to China's southwestern Sichuan province after a 6.1-magnitude earthquake killed 22 people and injured hundreds, local authorities said Sunday.(AP Photo/Xinhua News Agency, Chen Haining)

BEIJING-An earthquake that hit southwest China's Sichuan and Yunnan provinces has killed 25 people, damaged or destroyed more than 100,000 homes and affected at least 440,000 residents, state media said on Sunday.The epicenter of Saturday's quake, which struck around 4:30 p.m. (3:30 a.m. EDT), was about 20 miles southeast of Panzhihua, near Sichuan's border with Yunnan, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The quake was about 6 miles deep.The U.S. Geological Survey put the magnitude of the quake at 5.7, while China's official Xinhua news agency said it measured 6.1.Xinhua said the quake had injured 192 people, and three more were missing.It added that 656 schools had also been damaged and that heavy rain and difficult terrain were hampering rescue efforts, with mobile telephone communications patchy.State television showed pictures of houses with large cracks in their sides, broken tiles on the road and people receiving medical attention under tents.Parts of Sichuan province were devastated by an earthquake that killed about 70,000 people in May. The province, known for its pandas and fiery cuisine, has struggled to rebuild after the disaster, which left 10 million people homeless.http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSPEK7860020080831